Mail-box supply-signal.



R. A. CALDWELL.

MAIL BOX SUPPLY SIGNAL.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1912,

Patented Apr; 1, 1913.

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REX A. CALDWELL, 0F PADUCAH, KENTUCKY.

MAIL-BOX SUPPLY-SIGNAL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REX A. CALDWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paducah, in the county of McCracken and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mail-Box Supply- Signals, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to signals for mail boxes, and is primarily adapted for use upon rural mail boxes.

In carrying out the invention it is my purpose to provide a simple and effective device which may be secured to either the interior or exterior of the mail box and which embodies a plate or frame having a slot; a disk is pivotally connected with the frame and the said disk has imprinted thereon signs or cards which are perceivable through the opening and which are of a character to give information to the mail man regarding the mail matter within the box, as for instance, the disk may be imprinted with the word Registered which would indicate that the letter within the box is to be registered by the mail man and the fees for the registration are retained in a suitable receptacle attached to the frame. The disk is of course provided with numerous other cards, as for instance, one may be marked Stamps, to indicate that stamps are required by the letter in the box, the number of stamps desired being understood by the mail man from the amount of money deposited within the receptacle.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an indicator of this class with a construction of coin receptacles, the same having its lower portion inclined upwardly and is normally closed by a pivoted weighted door, the same having its upper extremity provided with an offset portion forming a lift whereby a person contacting the said lift will swing the door to open position and a coin will drop within the hand; thus obviating the inconvenience of removing the coin by the fingers of the operator.

ith the above recited objects in view and others which will appear as the nature of the invention is more fully understood the improvement resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improvement illustrating Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 20, 1912.

Patented Apr. 1, 1913. Serial No. 721,476.

same in applied position within a mail box, a portion of the mail box being broken away and other portions being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail illustrating the manner of attaching the device to the support. Fig. 4 illustrates a still further means for securing the device. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate still further attaching means for the device.

Referring now to the drawing in detail the numeral 1 designates my improvement in 1ts entirety.

The device embodies essentially a frame which comprises a centrally fiat circular portion 2, an upstanding portion 3 which is connected in any desired manner to a suitable support, such as a mail box 4. The plate is provided with a downwardly ex tending portion which is arranged diametrically opposite the portion 3, as designated by the numeral l. The member 4 has its lower extremity bent outwardly at an angle, and the side edges of the said member are upset to provide flanges 5 and 6.

The numeral 7 designates a door for the chamber or compartment provided by the member 4 and its flanged edges. This door embodies a flat member and has its upper edges inturned to provide ears 7 which are pivotally connected as at 8 to the upper side flanges of the member 4. The door is provided with an offset finger piece 9 which is arranged at 'the top thereof, and the lower edge of the door is curved and is provided with an inturned flange 10, which normally lies below the lower edge of the outwardly inclined portion of the receptacle. The door is eccentrically pivoted so that the lower portion thereof is of a greater width than its upper portion, and as a consequence the door is adapted to close by gravity.

With the arrangement of the door and receptacle as above described, it will be noted that when the thumb of the hand of the mail man contacts with the. finger piece to swing the door to its open position the coin from. within the receptacle will be delivered to within the palm of the hand.

Cent-rally pivoted as at 12 to the rounded central portion of the frame is a disk 13, the said disk being provided with radially ar ranged cards or indicating characters 14 and these characters are adapted to be displayed through a peripheral opening 15 provided in the round central portlon of the frame. The disk is of a greater circumterence than the rounded portion of the frame and the projecting edge of the said disk serves as a means for rotating the same to bring the proper order mark to within the space provided by the slotted portion of the body and the frame.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing the simplicity of the device as well as its advantages will. it is thought be perfectly apparent to those skilled in the art to which such invention appertains.

Having thus described the invention what I claim is: g

In a. device for holding coins or the like in letter mail boxes, a back member having its upper portion formed with a hook, said back embodying a flat member and having its sides adjacent its lower end inturned to provide oppositely disposed ears, the member below the ears being extended outwardly at an angle and having its sides outset to provide a coin compartment, a door for the compartment, said door also embodying a flat member having its upper portion outturned to provide a finger hold and its sides below the finger hold inturned toprovide ears which are adapted to co-act with the ears of the back, pintles connecting the ears, and the lower extremity of the door being inturned to provide a curved flange which is disposed below the coin receptacle of the back, and the said door adapted to contact with the edges of the receptacle to normally close the said receptacle.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

REX A. CALDWELL. Witnesses M. R. TADE, R. W. RUDOLPH.

Copies of this patent may; be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

